“Finally,” Dirkschneider said when asked her reaction to breaking the record. “I set it my freshman year and it was so hard all of last year to not be able to hit that. This year I’ve been solid 39s. When I even heard that I was in the 40s, I was so happy.”

The record-breaking throw was set up by a revision in her throwing motion. This season, Dirkschneider has been using a rotational technique that is similar to what she does in the discus. However, after several meets stuck in the 39-foot range, patience grew thin.

“She’s been frustrated, coach Feurer’s been a little frustrated, and I’ve been a little frustrated too,” coach Jeff Voss said. “They’ve all been a little frustrated, because they know she can do better. This shows her this is the way to go about it. Just use your strength and go.”

After thinking about it for a few weeks, Dirkschneider approached throws coach Bob Feurer and asked about going back to the glide method she had used in previous years. Feurer obliged and they spent Monday's practice working on technique. Feurer said they worked off a little rust after not using the glide method for almost a year, but it didn’t take long to get comfortable with her old style.

“Habits are ingrained with practice and she’s practiced the glide for four years and she’s only the rotational for just one,” he said. “Obviously, it was a good choice on her part.”

EHC, Class C shot put loaded

Sam Dirkschneider’s record 44-7 shot put ranks third in the state in all classes. Unfortunately, the two throwers in front of her are also from Class C in Shandan Platt of Ainsworth (season’s best of 45-9) and Sam Liermann of Wisner-Pilger (45-2.5). In fact, three of the top six throwers in Nebraska hail from the East Husker Conference, with Humphrey/LHF’s Kaylee Jensen sixth with a mark of 43-8.5, which also ranks fourth in Class C. Pender’s Paige Ballinger is sixth in Class C at 41-8.5, so the state meet shot put should be hotly contested among familiar faces.

Other Tiger girls ranked among Class C leaders according to the Omaha World-Herald charts:
• Cassidy Chapman, tied for sixth in the 200
• Alexis Allgood, second in 400, fourth in 800, fourth in triple jump
• Dirkschneider, seventh in discus
• Allison Lux, third in high jump
• Cassidy Walla, tied for first in pole vault
• 1600 relay, eighth
• 3200 relay, fifth
For the boys,Nick Virka is tied for seventh in the pole vault in Class C.

Not wanting to set expectations too high coming into the meet, Dirkschneider said she was just aiming to hit the 42-foot mark. Voss agreed and said he would have been happy with a 41 or 42-foot throw. Her best throw so far this season came at the April 12 Wisner Invite, where she threw 41-6.5.

Dirkschneider showed promise of a big day right away as two of her throws in prelims cleared 40 feet. On the day, five of Dirkschneider’s six throws were longer than 40 feet, a mark which she has only exceeded at two meets this year.

She entered finals leading at 41-5, but on the first round of throws Kelsey Chapek of Wahoo Neumann nearly matched Dirkschneider with a toss of 41-4.
The record-breaking throw was Dirkschneider’s fifth of the meet. When the shot put landed, the effort instantly drew applause from the crowd.

Dirkschneider said she tried to stay calm as they stretched out the tape measure. After the measurement confirmed the school record, Dirkschneider hugged fellow thrower Sivana Witt and became visibly emotional. She also hugged her mother and received congratulations from other teammates watching.

“I got really excited (when it landed), but I didn’t want to get excited for nothing,” Dirkschneider said. “I am not usually not that emotional and I was fine. Then Sivana hugged me and then it all came out.”

According to the Omaha World-Herald’s charts, the effort was the third-best throw in the state this year, regardless of class. Dirkschneider will have plenty of competition during the next few weeks as the top three marks and four of the top six efforts this year belong to Class C throwers.

Feurer said he thinks Dirkschneider will be ready for the challenge.

“She admitted that she’s a lot stronger, but asked ‘Why am I not throwing farther than I am?’” Feurer said. “Now she knows she can, and the sky is the limit.”